Beautiful With You
by Struttr
Summary: Jane and Maura race against the clock to solve the brutal murders that has the city on edge. Will their friendship be able to brave the case that will have them pushed to the limit physically and emotionally? Look for a bit of everything. Fluff, angst, drama, humor, and a little romance for good measure. Rizzles, eventually...
1. Chapter 1

**First crack at writing Rizzoli and Isles. I do not own anything related to this show. That is Ms. Tamaro and Ms. Gerritsen's territory. Just using the girls and other characters and activities related to the show to stretch my legs a bit. Please don't expect expert commentary on either of their professions. Thank you in advance for giving this a chance... May get a little messy here and there, so, M rating just in case. Well, and maybe for another reason... Did someone say Rizzles? Let's hope so...**

It was just another humid late summer day in Boston. No breeze was anywhere to be found. If you walked outside for any amount of time, you would feel the stifling of your breath in an instant as you reached to wipe your brow. She wiped her brow right before the droplet would have rolled into her eye. A second droplet threatened to leave its mark on the ground below, but she couldn't risk the stain it would leave. A close call she thought to herself as she quickly reached across her forehead with the back of her gloved hand not able to let go of the sharp instrument in her hand. Quickly gathering the item she came for, she paused briefly to look at her hands. Realizing her normally immaculate footwear was the victim of two errant droplets, she frowned for a moment, hoping she could empty her hands quickly, not leaving any other trace of her previous activity just a few moments before. She swiftly removed the rubber gloves wrapping the sharp instrument on the inside of one of the gloves as all the items that were on and in her hands fell with a thud inside the plastic bag. She looked up from her position and made note that she had a few more moments of uninterrupted time to take care of her shoe before the stain set in. She quickly checked the bottom of each shoe to make sure she did not take any part of this scene with her. She nodded her head as if giving herself the all clear, and reached down and with just a slight amount of pressure from her now moistened thumb, she returned her shoe to its immaculate state, grinning slightly at the slight metallic taste now tinging the tip of her tongue. She stood back up and glanced around the area. With no one in sight, she rolled the plastic bag and placed it into a nylon backpack that she had just pulled from under a bush. "Too easy", she muttered, "too easy".

* * *

"Ma"! It's my day off! Why are you in my bedroom at, at, what time is it" ? Jane whined to her mother as the covers were being pulled from her still hazy from sleep form.

Angela was continuing her removal of said covers "Janie, its noon for Christ sake, get your ass up"!

"I don't want to"!

"I don't care what you want, you promised to go shopping with me to pick out a gift for Maura's birthday, now... get... up"!

"Ma, just get her a bottle of that Chateaubriblahblah and she will be happy as a clam".

"Jane Clementine Rizzoli, if you don't get out of that bed this instant, I will tell Maura that you were the one that broke her antique vase wrestling Frankie for the remote, not Bass bumping into the table"!

Jane shot up quickly, jumped out of bed, and mumbled, "You should have been a priest Ma, you can lay on the guilt better than anyone I know".

Jane hated shopping. She hated getting up on her day off. She hated the fact that her mother had a key to her apartment. She hated the fact that she hadn't even thought of a gift to get her best friend for her birthday. What was she supposed to get for the most beautiful, intelligent, and put together woman she had ever met? She knew after three years of knowing her, that a bottle of vintage fruity wine wouldn't do this time. She had to do better. She knew Maura had everything money could buy. She had to reach deep down to come up with something that would show Maura how much she really cared about her. Not too much she thought, as she turned the handle to get the water to the right temperature to shake the sleep from her body. No, it had to be simple but something a best friend would appreciate receiving. She couldn't get something too intimate so to speak. As she let the steaming stream of water wash over her face, and soon the rest of her body, she slapped her hand up against the wall as a way to stop the thoughts beginning to collect in her mind.

* * *

Jane reached the buzzing object on her belt, "Rizzoli. Yeah Frost, text me the address and I will meet you there".

"Are you kidding me? We just got here, how am I going to get back home"?

"Saved by the bell" Waving her phone toward her mother, Jane walked backward a few steps before turning around and letting out a deep breath. She turned back around, looking at a stunned Angela and said "I'll call Frankie to come and get you, have fun shopping"! She turned back toward the door of the antique shop and quickly returned to her vehicle and headed toward the outskirts of the city. Relief washed over her for a moment that she didn't have to endure a day of shopping with her mother. However, panic quickly set in realizing that she would see Maura at the scene and have to come up with some sort of lie as to what she was doing before being called out. She could stretch the truth with the best of them, it was part of the job she thought, but she hated lying to her best friend.

She knew Maura had been alone most of her life, not really finding anyone to rely on or trust that they wouldn't just leave finding something more important to focus on. Her parents were world travelers due to their job responsibilities and left Maura to fend for herself emotionally. Sure she never wanted for material things or the best education money could buy. Maura didn't know what is was like to have a friend, much less a best friend, as her and Jane had discussed on a few occasions. Their friendship had grown very quickly after Maura had joined the team at the BPD. She was intrigued by Jane's dichotomous behavior. She could be as fierce as need be when chasing down or interviewing a suspect. She could also be the most sincere and kindest person when consoling anyone who fell victim to the criminal element in Boston. She wore her heart on her sleeve and Maura knew, she found someone who she could confide her deepest secrets to as well as have a steadfast protector where she was concerned. Jane had already told Maura's mother how she felt about her cold and callous attitude toward her daughter. Jane knew she would do anything for Maura. Anything to make her smile and more than that, anything to never make her feel unwanted, less than, the remarkable person that she was. Even though a little white lie such as this wouldn't be a big deal to anyone else, just thought of as covering up a surprise to not give anything away.

Jane felt her gut clench a bit when she pulled up to the curb, noticing Maura already bent down, not a wrinkle in sight in her attire, controlling the scene, giving direction to her assistants. She only hoped that Maura would keep her conversation professional with Jane as she strode through the smattering of police cars and officers, toward the woman who kept her more in balance than anyone else in her life. At the moment Maura spotted Jane, the dimpled smile that was only reserved for Jane appeared, making Jane stop in her tracks for a moment, feeling her heart rate speed up. She welcomed the adrenaline rush, it helped her focus on solving the crime in front of her, but at the same time, distracted her for a brief moment from the task at hand, like an involuntary action, returned a smile in Maura's direction. She knew at moments like this, Maura had her heart, all of it. She spent a lot of time fighting it. She was done fighting it. However, she knew that she would keep that tidbit of information locked away. She didn't want to lose the best friend she ever had.


	2. Chapter 2

**Still don't own Rizzoli and Isles... Thank you to those who have favorited! Onward...**

"What do we have?" Jane crouched down next to Maura, tilting her head to the side a bit to keep her untamed curls out of her eyes.

"Male victim, multiple lacerations, evisceration of the heart and liver, has most likely been dead for 24 hours." Maura kept her tone neutral as she always did, but in this situation, she had struggled to do so.

"English please."

"Whoever did this, removed his heart and liver."

"Whoever did this is a sick fuck."

"Detective Rizzoli, please watch your language."

"Maur, I mean Dr. Isles, this is a perfectly good situation to use my 'language'."

Maura stood and smoothed her dress, shook her hair and took a deep breath, exhaling silently into the smothering atmosphere. "Well Detective, I will meet you back at the station, I will be able to give you a more accurate time of death once I begin my work in the morgue."

"Okay Dr. Isles."

Jane watched Maura walk back toward her car with conflicting emotions. She was in awe of the Dr.'s figure, that dress hugged her in all the right places she thought. Her calves flexed just enough as she walked up the slight hill, and as she bent down to get into the driver's side, Jane was privy to a brief glimpse of cleavage that she unknowingly began to smirk. Jane shook her head slightly and the thought of Maura's odd behavior at the scene. She had never really seen the normally steady Dr. flinch at any dead body, at the scene or otherwise. She knew Maura well enough to know the signs of the ever so slightly uncomfortable manner in which she handled herself just a few moments ago. Anyone else around would not have noticed. Jane did. She always noticed. Too much she thought sometimes. She made her way over to Frost and Korsak to find out if they had discovered anything worthwhile at the scene.

"It looks like whoever did this took the time to tidy up a bit. Besides being meticulous to begin with, considering the state the body is in, it doesn't seem like this guy was gutted right here." Frost wiped his brow a bit, the combination of the humidity and the slight wave of nausea that had begun a short time after arriving on scene was making it hard for him to continue with his findings.

"Don't worry Frost, if your heart isn't in this, I can take it from here." Korsak chuckled a bit at his own pun and with an eye roll from Jane, she went back to where the body was found to scour the area a bit herself. With the body finally on its way to the morgue, Jane signaled Frost to come over to where she was to get a visual representation of what she thought was an odd impression in the nearby landscape.

"Frost, look at this, its like a sharp object made this indentation."

Frost bent down to get a better look. He took a few pictures and stayed in the crouched position a bit longer raising his eyes to sweep the surrounding area. "You're right, and there is only one indentation. Its a specific shape, I wonder if there are more around here somewhere."

"Lets keep looking for a bit, then meet back up with Korsak at the station and compare notes."

* * *

The sound of the door opening didn't register with Maura. The heavy sound of Jane's boots coming up behind her seemed to blend in with the silence in the room. She heard nothing else but her own heart beating as she began to sew up the victim, still dissecting her thoughts due to the fact that there were two less organs to analyze and weigh.

"Hey." Jane tried to quietly get the medical examiner's attention realizing she was so focused on the work she was doing. She continued to hover near the table without saying another word, hoping that Maura would eventually realize she was there, waiting patiently while she finished with the body. Jane could never remember a time when Maura wasn't just absolutely the picture of beauty. Whether in her best designer dress, her yoga attire, just waking up from sleep or right now, in her scrubs and mask, manipulating her hands to get the perfect line or perfect stitch. Jane was now caught in her own trance as the doctor's hands came to a stop, now realizing she had company.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know that you have a lot going on in that big brain of yours."

"The size of my brain does not coincide with the amount of information that I may be processing at any one moment."

"Maur, hey, look at me." Jane was becoming more concerned as her best friend was still not looking up in her direction.

Maura raised her eyes only slightly, hoping that Jane would not be able to read the unease swimming in her hazel orbs. She had stared right through the body for most of the examination. Her hands had just seemed to be on autopilot. The longer she stared, calculated and hypothesized, the unease began to morph into something more. Something that Jane noticed immediately as she caught Maura's gaze for a few seconds before she had looked down again. Something that Jane had never seen in Maura's eyes before. She had only seen them in her own after waking from a nightmare or after hearing Hoyt's name, right after she made sure he wouldn't come after her or anyone ever again. She hadn't had that look for a long time. She never wanted anyone to feel how she had felt during his time of terror.

"Maura, what is it, did you find something, something that will help us figure out who did this?"

Jane was still quiet in her tone, realizing the reverence of the moment.

Maura still had not looked back up at Jane, she wanted to just say what she was thinking, but she didn't like to guess. Not without every piece of evidence tested. Not without hours of dissecting every possibility. She didn't go with her 'gut' like her counterpart, she went on science. She spoke before she even realized what she was doing.

"Did you find any shoe prints or odd indentations at the scene?"

"Yes, why?"

**A/N**

**Some chapters may be shorter or longer depending... I am a fan of cliffhangers. So I hope you all are patient. Working the story/plot as I go. Thank you all for reading. I hope you stick with this! Cheers!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Slow burn folks. Little by little. Still don't own anything related to the show...**_

_**Chapter 3**_

Maura had pretty much shut all the world at this point. Her breathing became ragged. She closed her eyes for a brief second, trying to squelch the sudden rise of acid in her throat without drawing to much attention to herself. She figured the reflection off of her goggles would allow her to concentrate all her efforts on this task, not giving away the fact that her eyelids were shut, not just lowered concentrating on the copious amount stitching on the body below her. She felt herself calm for a brief moment when she noticed Jane had moved away slightly to answer her now buzzing phone. Only her head had moved toward her best friend's voice, everything else just stayed frozen in the current state. She took note of Jane's inability to take her eyes off of her, even while she was supposed to be concentrating on whoever she was conversing with on the phone. Her heart skipped a beat for a second. A warm sensation stretched from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She suddenly felt safe for a brief moment, the realization was not lost on the medical examiner. She was fighting the feeling of fear only a second before looking at Jane and taking in her stare and stance. She couldn't be surprised anymore really. Jane was her protector. Her steadfast knight in shining armor. With only a look, she could take away the doctor's pain, fear, sadness or any other emotion that could filter through her body at any moment. Nothing or no one could claim that title in the doctor's life, not in her childhood, and not in the recent past. It was just Jane, it was always Jane, from the moment they met. Jane made her feel safe enveloping her into her world, her family, her heart. Maura had never dissected this fact to this extent until this exact moment. The moment she felt that her mind and body would betray her, not being able to keep herself collected with the scene that had been unfolding throughout the day. Failing to keep up her professional front in the face of the most depraved situations. This one was different but familiar at the same time. Then there was the sound of Jane's voice, coming out with its normal husk, but a muted tone, more quiet than her usual volume. The sound of her voice brought her out of her daze just a bit. A sigh and the slight tilt of the doctor's head, physically displaying her thoughts like a thousand realizations were washing over her at once. Jane never took her eyes off of Maura. She noticed the doctor finally looking in her direction and had to force herself to concentrate on the conversation at hand. She couldn't quite pinpoint Maura's expression at that moment, wondering what was causing Maura's eyes to lock with hers.

"No, we don't have anything solid yet. I will let you know as soon as Dr. Isles finishes with her examination." Jane let out a sigh after hanging up with Frost. He knew that this different than most of the cases that they had worked and was just anxious to start piecing this one together.

Jane clipped her phone back onto her belt, still confounded by Maura's demeanor. She moved back toward the doctor, this time, putting her hands on the cold table's edge, leaning in to try to get her to snap out of her daze.

"Maur?"

Maura blinked a few times, the words from Jane's mouth still ringing in her head. _"Yes, why?"_

The doctor set the instrument in her hands down. Took a long look over the body one last time, her eyes stopping on the "Y" incision then moving down toward the lower half of the victim's torso settling on the lower right quadrant. She let her gaze linger for a moment longer when the husk of Jane's voice roused her from her intense observation.

She let out a barely discernible noise, almost a half -hearted attempt to clear her throat. "This case, this body, is forcing me to recall a similar series of murders when I worked in San Diego. The imprint you confirmed, do you have physical evidence of it?"

"Yes, its right here." Jane pulled her phone back out and scrolled a few spaces finally landing on what had possibly made the doctor unravel from her normal stoic demeanor.

The medical examiner swallowed down a small gulp of air, trying to keep her professional acumen in the face of such a heinous development. "If this starts to come together, the evidence, the lab tests, the possibility of more victims, and this picture is replicated in a future crime scene, I am going to hypothesize that the murderer is a female."

_**A/N:**_

_**Short and sweet I know. Stay tuned...**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Dream/flashbacks italics**

"Maura, what are you saying?"

"Just what I meant, if the evidence remains consistent, and if this is not a singular incident, I am hypothesizing that the perpetrator in this case could be a woman."

"I am just surprised that you are guessing."

"Not guessing Jane, hypothesizing. That indentation is similar to evidence found on more than one occasion for a series of murders I was involved with previously in my tenure with the San Diego Police Department."

"Is there any other evidence that you have found to come to this conclusion?"

"Not as of yet. Those results probably will not be available until tomorrow. I hope to have more evidence as to who was responsible for this man's death."

Jane was still a little worried that the Doctor had been in a daze throughout the majority of their conversation. She seemed like she was on autopilot. She suddenly felt like her detective skills needed to be pushed aside for the time being and step into her best friend mode and make sure there was nothing else bothering the ME.

"Maur, is everything okay? You seem somewhere else"

"I'm fine Jane, thank you."

Again, Jane knew this wasn't Maura's normal behavior, but seeing her body language and hearing the banal tone in her voice, piqued her curiosity even more.

"How about I pick up some dinner and we chill back at yours. I am starving and I am assuming you haven't had anything decent today either."

"Thank you for the offer Jane. I think I really just need to finish up here and then get some sleep and start fresh tomorrow."

"Um, okay Maur. Coffee first thing?"

"Yes, that would be perfect. Goodnight Jane, be safe getting home. I will see you in the morning."

"Goodnight Maura."

Jane strode to the door and took a brief second to look back into the room. She caught the last glimpse of Maura's figure retreating into her office to finish her paperwork for the night. She turned back toward the door, and with a slight push, quietly left the room letting out a small sigh.

* * *

Maura sat at her desk and reached for her temples to begin slightly rubbing them to soothe the beginnings of a tension headache. She hadn't allowed herself the time to eat that day and was probably not as hydrated as she knew she should be. Her mind was anything but worried about her own needs. She had worked very hard to remain the picture of propriety during the moment she arrived at the scene and each moment after that whether in the presence of her lab technicians or the detectives working the case. She thought she had conducted herself in the utmost professional manner when at the scene and in the morgue with Jane. She knew Jane relied on her gut for a lot of her work, and if she was being honest, it was probably a huge factor in her closing rates for cases. The Doctor couldn't allow herself that luxury. She believed in science and what the evidence portrayed. She thought back to the many discussions she has had in the past with the detective about "its not possible for your intestines to solve anything, its physically incapable of forming thoughts or process evidence" only to be cut off by said detective about how her googlemouth couldn't explain any of how she relied on her gut feelings, that that was the point, it was a feeling. Her reliance on the process of science, the physical aspects of the evidence was what had made the ME successful in her field. In this moment, she felt a slight chink in the normality of her regiment. This case, even though all of the evidence wasn't even close to being processed. She knew, without any scientific explanation, that there were going to be more bodies related to this initial case, that this and whatever it was going to bring for the BPD, was far from over.

She closed her eyes for a few moments, taking cleansing breaths. Once her eyes were back open and settled on the paperwork in front of her, she simply clicked a few keys on her computer and shut down for the night. It would still be here tomorrow.

* * *

She remained in a bit of a trance all the way home. Enough basic thought to get to where she needed to go. She shut her front door behind her with a soft click and locked it. She went upstairs to begin her nightly routine, the act of scrubbing her face devoid of any makeup, allowed her to feel slightly better. A small sigh escaped her lips as she looked in the mirror. Her mind drifted to Jane, she felt a slight tinge of guilt for not accepting her offer for dinner. She loved spending time with the detective, more than anyone else in her life prior to that. The majority of her life was all surface dealings, even with her parents. Jane had barged into her life, not caring about the finer things or the manners to which Maura was used to. She was just Jane. She never had a true friend before, and still surprised from time to time at the ease to which they were around each other. On a day like today, she was caught off guard a bit by her own actions. There had been few occasions when one or the other was not available for dinner or just 'chilling' as Jane so eloquently put it. There were random dates each other would find themselves on, but even then, somehow they drifted toward one another after the date had ended. Her mind had moved past the guilt and to a sudden remembrance of Jane reaching out to her cheek, making a 'cute' comment the first time she saw Maura without makeup on, as she gazed in the mirror noticing the slight smattering of freckles on her face. A slight blush formed over the ME's cheeks and chest at the thought. She decided to text Jane, just to get back a little normalcy at the end of this day. She padded out of the bathroom and reached for her phone on her nightstand.

_I hope you made it home safely. I am sorry about tonight, rain check? M_

She set her phone down and headed back downstairs to grab a glass of wine, allowing herself this indulgence, to further relax before turning in for the night. She sat down on her couch, taking a quick sip, relishing in the taste, closing her eyes allowing herself to indulge in one of Jane's favorite pastimes, putting her feet on the table. She took one more sip, let out a slight 'mmm' sound. Her plan was to finish the glass and retreat upstairs. Her body and mind had other ideas. Her breathing evened out very quickly. Her dreams began quickly, and after holding back on a day like today, the topic of her dream was anything but pleasant.

_Blood ran down the stainless steel sink. There wasn't much, but enough that warranted her to swipe over a few times with the spray nozzle. The sound of the water was soothing to her ears. She continued around the room, picking up her instruments to clean and put away. It could never be too clean for her, never too organized. With her instruments put away, she went back to turn out the light over the sink. As soon as she reached the sink she noticed blood still remaining. She turned on the water to rinse it down, only now, it didn't seem to be stopping. Seemingly coming from nowhere, no matter how long she stood there holding the nozzle over the sink, the blood never ceased to flow. She began to panic, looking for any possible reason for this much blood. She set the nozzle into the sink and turned to grab something stronger than hot water to rinse the red liquid away. She let out a gasp as she turned and was met with dark eyes. _

"_Maura, you haven't figured it out yet have you?" The cold steely eyes never blinked as the voice seemed to move closer, the sound of heels clicking on the floor grew voluminous throughout the concrete floored room. "I thought you were smarter than this. Its not like you to miss such obvious clues Dr. Isles." The voice was taunting, chilling her to the bone. The ME tried to speak, but no words would come out. The figure moved closer, but the doctor could not make out their face, just looked down and noticed a shiny object being pushed in her direction. She flinched away for a moment, not able to do much else. "Here, you forgot to clean this one." As the object moved closer to her, she realized it was a scalpel dripping with blood. Not realizing what she was doing, she reached out to take the scalpel, again, not wanting anything left undone. When she looked down in her hands she now noticed a heart still beating resting in her palm. "This is up to you, how many more will suffer until you solve this?" A slight chuckle was heard next. "You have never failed at anything have you. You have always been able to speak for the dead. No one can help you Maura, time is ticking away, the blood will only run thicker on your watch. How does it feel knowing someone else will die before you use that genius mind of yours and stop me?" Maura looked back up toward the voice and only noticed movement from the black bag on the table. She began to walk over to the table when she felt a wet feeling over her legs and feet. She only saw red streaks being left on the floor in her wake. _

Maura sat up with a start. She had knocked her half full wine glass into her lap after the visions that she was wrestling with a moment ago. She put her hand over her heart and took a deep breath. She quickly got up to clean the mess she had just made.

She made it back to her room and quickly settled into bed thinking that in its comfort, she should be able to sleep better. She noticed a light flashing on her phone signaling a text. She opened the text, a small smile and slight rush of adrenaline coursed through her body at the sight of Jane's name.

She didn't bother to sit up and read the message. She read it as she lie on her pillow, closing her eyes for a moment, wishing the detective was there with her to calm her fears, hold her close and tell her everything will be okay. She never has spoken of these dreams, which for most classified themselves as nightmares to anyone else. Maura never thought that she would be experiencing anything like this. She tried to deny her fear. Never wanting to allow herself to believe that her life's work could affect her this way. Was it true, was she a failure? Those thoughts had haunted her during that case in San Diego. She wore her Queen of the Dead persona proudly. Her coolness at a scene or in the morgue was not rivaled. She considered herself unflappable. A tear escaped down her cheek as she read the words Jane had taken the time to send her best friend.

_No worries Maur. Yes, I will hold you to that rain check. I did make it home in one piece. See you tomorrow. Sweet dreams... J_

**A/N Just getting started. Building up to everything slowly but surely. **

**Peace...**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Chapter 5_**

**_Onward..._**

The breeze shifted a bit, blowing her hair a little into her face. She knew she couldn't brush it back with her hands at the moment, so she opted for the next best thing, a shake and a twist of her head did the trick. This one took a little more work. Too many questions she thought. Who wouldn't just take what she said and what she did at face value? Where was the respect in this world? All in all it didn't matter though. She still had control of the task from the first second. She just had to think a bit more outside of the box. The rote speech was practiced to perfection. Her mannerisms, her history, her facial features were always right on cue. The questions were not really necessary. She did her homework. They were just to put an ease over the whole situation. A more human like touch. With the formalities out of the way, the next part of the task fell into play with such simplicity, she always had to hold her facial affect at bay. The swift manner in which she conducted herself was in her mind unrivaled. There was so little mess to tend to, and what there was, was minimal and quickly resolved. She removed her gloves, another practiced tactic, she never even had to look in the direction she was putting them in, just instinctively fell into the right place. This allowed her a more detailed look at the periphery. She couldn't get distracted or sloppy at this point. It started out of necessity, it has continued out of a different kind of need. She double checked her person, the area around her, and the body below her. She let out a quick breath, satisfied that another completed task was under her belt. Her purse was easily shifted onto her shoulder and with another shake of her head, she continued down the path and into the dark night.

* * *

The din was typical in the morning at the cafe. Jane was sat facing the entrance to the cafe, as per usual in her line of work, never one to enjoy surprises, keeping an eye on everyone who entered. She mentally chastised herself as soon as she saw the ME heading through the entrance, realizing she did not have her normal skim something frou frou latte waiting for her. That was her real reason for sitting in that spot, to be able to watch Maura, catching a glimpse without feeling the need to censor her gaze. It was the one thing she could do for herself, even if it was just for a brief moment here and there. With the job, late hours, and type of cases they were involved with, Maura was the one thing that brought her some semblance of normalcy, of peace from the chaos that normally swirled around all that was Jane Rizzoli. She smiled in the ME's direction and was taken a little aback when the same was not returned immediately, still noticing something off with her best friend, but then once she got closer to the table, the smile finally came, but never reached the Doctor's eyes.

"Good morning Jane."

"Good morning Maur, how was the rest of your night?"

"Nothing worth talking about. A glass of wine then to bed."

"Sounds so exciting Dr. Isles!"

"Jane, I hardly think that" Maura quickly stopped her response when she noticed the smirk displayed on her best friend's face.

"Maur, really, what is it, you seem not yourself in the last few days."

"I'm just tired Jane. I haven't been sleeping as well as I normally do."

"Why?"

"It is probably due to just a couple of restless nights, I am sure it is nothing to be concerned about, it will pass."

Jane really wasn't buying the whole story, even though she truly knew Maura had the inability to outright lie, she knew she was practiced at the art of deflection, almost better than she was if she admitted it to herself. She took the high road for now, just wanting to get the day started on a good note.

"Okay Maur, so, let me get you some coffee and maybe one of those muffins you secretly like?"

Jane chuckled to herself a bit at the expression she left Maura with, glad that she was able to coerce a small smile from her best friend.

Maura just sat amazed how quickly Jane could get her mind off what was really bothering her, keeping her awake. She was never one for more than a days here and there of lack of sleep. She was a stickler for her schedule, even though she could be called out anytime and stay late on any given day. She still had her nightly routine, eating and exercise regiment that kept her circadian rhythm in check as best as could be given her line of work. She took pride in not falling ill and still getting enough rest to complete her daily tasks with a clear and awake mind. She thought back to the few times that Jane had stayed the night with her after a night of a few too many beverages, for safety reasons. Some of those times they had fallen asleep on the couch together, slowly drifting toward each other in sleep. The morning light snapping the comfortableness of the moment in two, when they realized the position they were in. Shy smiles and a sudden need for space got them moving in different directions. They never really talked about those times. Neither Maura nor Jane were fond of too much physical contact with others per se, but they always seemed to drift into each others space now and then without even a thought. Maura found herself staring in Jane's direction inadvertently letting a smile wash over her features. Could she let Jane in all the way? Could she count on Jane's protective nature to protect her from herself? If she was being honest, could she let the years of subtle touches and glances come to the forefront of her mind and dissect it to the fullest extent as she would one of the bodies on her autopsy table? Should she just leave it where it is in its current state, just below the surface, still enough to give her something she has never had in her life. That constant person she could rely on, the best friend that she could just be her weird and literal self around. No one has ever taken the time to get to know Maura Isles as much as the detective. She treasured everything about their relationship. Her trepidation to broach the subject bothered her. She was always honest in her dealings with people. Sure, Maura was socially awkward, but with Jane, that awkwardness seemed to never make an appearance, and if it did, Jane never mentioned it. Maura's smile fell away slowly as the detective turned with the coffee and muffin in her hand and headed back toward the table. Maura was an expert at compartmentalization. This time, those compartments were feeling like they weren't holding everything in its place. The lines were being blurred a bit, but Maura hadn't decided if she was willing to let cracks get bigger or if she should just fortify those walls into something stronger than before. Everything in its place.

"Here you go Maur, Ma says hello and that I was supposed to make sure you were still okay with Ma making you dinner at your place on Sunday, you know, for your big 37?"

"Thank you Jane. Yes, of course. "I appreciate you all wanting to celebrate with me. We had discussed it earlier in the week and I am looking forward to having your family in my home."

"You know Maur, I really appreciate you helping my Ma out. She thinks the longer she works here, she will get more hours and be able to afford her own place."

"Jane its my pleasure, she can stay as long as she needs."

Maura was just about to continue by saying her whole family is always welcome when her phone, then Jane's went off simultaneously.

"Isles"

"Rizzoli"

They both just stared at each other while listening to Frost and Korsak on the other lines respectively. Another body was found, and they would meet them in the lobby on the way out to their respective cars.

"Well, I guess this is now an order to go." Jane said as she grabbed Maura's muffin, wrapped it in a napkin and followed her out to the lobby with her hand on the ME's lower back, then finished by saying, "I'm driving, I have a feeling this will be the only thing you will have time to eat for awhile."


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

_**Thank you for all of the follows, favorites and reviews. It means a lot that you are all taking the time to read!**_

_One._

_One more body._

_One more missing internal organ._

_One more possible clue without it really being anything new._

_One more reminder that she is not infallible._

"We have a match."

"I don't think this is random."

"His name was Jonathan Reed."

"This is related to the first case."

"He was an investment banker for Crane and Culver Capital."

"I have already contacted the San Diego Police Department to get my old case files."

"Frost is going back through his calendar, to see if anything is out of the ordinary."

"I can't fail this time."

Both seemingly in their own thoughts weaving through the conversation without missing a beat, however the last statement from the ME snapped Jane out of saying the next thing on her mind.

"Maura." Jane looked up at her best friend, finally coming to the realization that the ME had been taking these murders to heart. That as great as she was at her job, she couldn't accept failure in any aspect. As much as the Doctor had no control over the person that was committing these murders, Jane knew by the body language in front of her, she was silently blaming herself for the man on the table in between them.

"Jane, I am finished for now. The rest of the reports will be ready tomorrow." Her tone was somber. She began to clean the necessary space and items. Jane stood in silence as the Doctor performed the ritual she knew was somehow able to calm the ME. Normally she would have gone back upstairs at this point to check back in with Frost and Korsak. She watched as Maura meticulously went about her work, not only admiring her beauty, but the way she took great care with each body that came through her morgue and the morgue itself.

Once she came out of her office after getting her personal effects she was met with a gentle grasp of her upper arm, and she was soon looking into the eyes of someone who saw her as someone other than the person that cut up dead people.

"I am taking you home, we have to stop by mine first, then we will order in and then you will tell me why you think these cases relate to a previous case of yours."

As much as she wanted to protest, a night with the detective sounded much better than going home alone and back to the dreams that were awaiting her. She gave the detective a small smile and said "Thank you."

* * *

The ride back to both of their places was silent. Jane knew Maura was still in work mode. She didn't even get out of the car to join Jane in her apartment for a few minutes to gather some necessary items for the evening. Once on the way to Maura's, Jane finally put a hand on the Doctor's thigh just to get her attention and let her know that what ever this case had in store for them, that they would work together to get this evil off the streets. Maura's eyes connected with Jane's for the briefest of moments, just long enough to convey her thanks and understanding. Once in the house, Jane made her way to the guest room to put her things down. She returned to an empty living room and kitchen. She assumed Maura had gone to her room to change into something more comfortable. She was grateful that Maura had her beer stocked in the fridge. She figured she shouldn't leave the good Doctor hanging and poured her a glass of wine. Not really thinking of the choice, just the fact that it was in her home, so it must be good enough to drink. She finished her first beer in record time. Once almost finished with her second beer, there was still no sign of Maura. She made her way to her bedroom, noticing the door slightly open. She peeked in to find the ME on her stomach breathing evenly as one of her arms hung lazily off the side of her bed. She took a moment to just revel in the fact that her best friend was the most gorgeous person she had ever met, inside and out. This was just one other thing that would endear her to the Doctor. She didn't even realize her legs were moving until she bent down and was soon moving a strand of golden hair behind Maura's ear. She noticed Maura stir a bit and was soon met with sleepy hazel eyes.

"Hey sleepyhead."

"Jane, I'm so sorry, I just wanted to rest my eyes for a moment."

"It's okay Maur, why don't you rest for a bit longer and I will order some food and come get you when it gets here."

"No, that's okay, I am awake now and...

"Rest, I will be back in awhile. Then we will eat and put our heads together and get this asshole off the streets."

Maura had already closed her eyes again, but grabbed Jane's hand and tucked it under her shoulder.

"Language." That was all Jane had heard as she was looking at the position of her hand. She couldn't help the fact that she just wanted to curl up behind Maura and drift away for a bit to let the day fade into the background for awhile. She resisted the urge, leaned down and place a soft kiss to the side of Maura's head, gave her hand a slight squeeze and left her to sleep.

Jane ordered from their favorite Thai place and opened another beer. She figured it would be another half hour before the food arrived. She clicked on the TV and went directly to the Sox game. She was trying to just focus on the game, but her mind kept drifting to the ME. A small smile washed over her face at the scene just a few moments before. She let her eyes close for a few moments, just wanting to feel some peace from her normally racing mind. Just as her breathing started to even out she heard her name loudly coming from the other room.

Jane was up with a start and immediately headed into Maura's room to find the Doctor had changed positions and was now on toward the foot of the bed with the blankets askew from her movements. Jane finally realized that Maura was probably having a nightmare and went over to wake her up.

"Maura, Maur, wake up." Jane gently began to rub the Doctor's back to guide her to an awake state.

"Jane, please, don't leave, Jane I..

"Maura, please wake up, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere."

"Jane!" "Wait!"

Jane was leaving the gentle part behind at the moment knowing it was the only way to get Maura out of this nightmare. "Maura, Maura." She grabbed the ME by both arms and turned her into her arms and began rocking her back and forth. She felt Maura's breath hitch and was soon met again with hazel eyes swimming in confusion.

"Jane, wait, what is going on."

"Maur, you were having a bad dream. I heard you yelling my name. What was that all about?"

Maura kept her focus on Jane's face, and the fact that she was safe in her arms at the moment. She didn't want to ever have Jane let go. Not only from the residual feelings from the nightmare she just experienced, but from the feelings that had been seeping into her consciousness for years now. Why now. That thought was fleeting, she didn't really care to expound on that in her mind just yet, she was allowing herself to just feel. Fingertips were being brushed across her forehead, and she closed her eyes at the touch. She opened them a second later to find the most caring eyes staring back at her. She could get lost in those dark brown pools if she were being honest.

"Jane, I'm okay, thank you for waking me. I am sorry if I disturbed you."

"Maur, how long have these dreams being going on?"

Maura just look back up into Jane's eyes, not wanting the worry lines to increase on her best friend's face and just said "Really, I am fine, but I am getting hungry, is the food here yet?"

"Good deflection Maura, you forget you are talking to the pro here. When you are ready to let me into goings on in that ginormous brain of yours, I will be here."

Maura just stared at Jane for a moment, not really mindful of any kind of comeback. "I need to freshen up a bit and I will meet you in the kitchen."

Jane knew that this case was taking its toll on Maura like she had never witnessed before. She hoped that they would be able get to the bottom of this sooner than later. She gave Maura a quick hug and removed herself from Maura's form and the bed. "Hurry up, I am on my fourth beer, you have a lot of catching up to do Dr. Isles."

The ME let out a small sigh, splashed a little water over her face, knowing this was going to be a long night. She dabbed her face dry, still staring in the mirror, as a sudden warmth washed through her body at the though of being in Jane's arms a few moments ago. She could do this, conquer her fears, her internal struggles, her self inflicted insecurities. With Jane as her best friend, and maybe, just maybe something more someday, she had a small glimpse of hope, that her nightmares would subside and she could finally put all the pieces together and truly make this case a thing of the past. She didn't want to let it control her present or her future. Wistfulness set aside for now, she left the bedroom and was determined to put a stop to this madness no matter how many hours, days or weeks it took.

_**I have a feeling this is going to be longer than expected... Peace!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

_**I still don't own these characters... However, rambling on...**_

Maura just sat and watched Jane as she was moving around the kitchen like it was her own. She was gathering everything they would need for their meal. She wasn't even realizing that she was smiling at the sight in front of her as Jane poured her a fresh glass of wine and placed it next to her plate, that was already dished up from what she could see. Nothing that she was witnessing seemed out of the ordinary. Just another night at her house with the Detective. The ease she felt watching her best friend go through this routine was slightly unsettling now. Her breath hitched at the thoughts moving to the forefront of her mind. She couldn't really remember a time when this did not seem part of her life. It was that now, she could not only not remember a time, but it seemed that this was almost a foreboding to the future. A future in which they would be in this same scene, day in and day out. Working together, using their individual skills to bring justice to the city and its victims, then retiring at the end of each day in the same manner as they were this evening. She had never really thought of that with anyone else. This normalcy, this routine, was something she never put into the category as 'her life'. Her school of thought was more along the lines of work, foundation activities, travel, a few dates here and there, then home alone with a good book and a glass of wine to end the day. She had only a couple serious relationships in her mind. One that would have relegated her to a life of trophy wife and the other a role of uncertainty with someone who may or may not have settled in one place or thinking that the laws did not apply to him because he was saving lives in third world countries. Those relationships were a lifetime ago in her mind. The one she had with Jane surpassed anything she had ever felt in the past. She was amazed that after all they had been through together with each case. Not always agreeing on the way to go about dissecting the evidence and the revelation that her father was one of Boston's most wanted criminals. Even after Jane had shot said father, after each had been at death's door more times than she wanted to think about, and the fact that Maura just flat out considered herself to be inept at social situations, they always found their way back. Back to each other like something beyond their control was pulling them toward each other, even if they were pushing back every once in awhile.

"That smells delicious, I didn't realize how hungry I really was."

"Here have a seat. Once we get some food in you, we are going to extrapolate some of the smart cells from your brain and work on getting to the bottom of this case."

"Jane, there is no such thing as smart cells that you can extrapolate, it would be...

"Okay miss literal, lets just eat please?"

Jane chuckled to herself shoving a fork full of curry chicken into her mouth. She noticed Maura taking a more demure route with her dinner, and of course she finished much more quickly than the ME. She got up to get another beer and sat back down next to Maura while she finished her last few bites. She let the Doctor eat in silence and when she was finished, she took her plate and pointed toward the couch and said, "Go sit, I will bring the wine back with me." With that Jane was cleaning up the remnants of dinner as Maura was about to protest then thought better of it, just truly wanting a moment to breathe, digest, and get mentally prepared for the discussion that was coming. She knew she was battling her own demons with this supposedly new case. It didn't feel new to her, just a continuation of something she thought was left behind, over, and gone cold. She knew she would have to come to terms with something that she never really gave a second thought about. That she was human, she was infallible, she didn't have all the answers. She trusted Jane like no other. This would be a huge step in Maura's mind. She would not only be talking of blood, organs, and DNA evidence with the Detective, she would be opening herself up to the incompetency she now felt in the wake of the murders that had the department on edge because she didn't solve it the first time around.

* * *

"Maura, do you need some more wine?"

"Yes, please, thank you. Thank you again for letting me rest and for taking care of dinner. I have a feeling this is going to be a long night."

"You're welcome. I figured that, hence the bag in the guest room." Jane let Maura take another sip of her wine before she began.

"Maura, can you please tell me about your nightmares? I have a feeling they have been going on for awhile, correct?"

Maura let out a long sigh, not really expecting to jump to this topic immediately. She took one last sip of her wine and set the glass on the coffee table. She turned to face the Detective fully, tucking her legs underneath her body.

"I haven't had these type of dreams for about four years. I had begun to have these dreams while I was working on this same type of case in San Diego. They only started to occur toward what I thought was the end so to speak. We had concluded that ten bodies were all connected to the same killer. By the time we were presented with body number eight, I was working extremely long hours and was starting to doubt my ability to actually come to any conclusion as to who was committing these murders and why. You know I don't like to guess, I could only hypothesize with the type of injuries these victims suffered from and the seemingly minute traces of evidence left by the murderer. Everyone involved with the case from my office and the police department were spending so much time on going over the details ad nauseam, not feeling like anything was connecting enough to even begin to put together a profile, something to point toward anyone. Just nothing. I think I was so set on solving this case that I began to get tunnel vision so to speak. I would barely focus on any other case that came through. It started to effect everything. I started to feel that my coworkers were now doubting my abilities. It began to overwhelm me on most days. The feeling of one more body being found, with no end in sight because I was not capable of doing my job. The nightmares came during this time. Basically they revolved around the case, and in my dreams I am being taunted by the killer to solve the case. They seemed so real. I'm always in the morgue and then I realize I am not alone. I never see their face, just hear that voice. It is soft most times, almost a whisper. There are times when its full, but low and deep. Its very vivid. I don't see the violence or hear screaming or anything, just taunting by the murderer, like they are there to tell me something, give me clues and then they disappear, leaving me in the morgue surrounded by more blood and internal organs. Then, it seemed that all of a sudden, it stopped. The murders stopped. At least related to this case. We went for about six months on edge, just waiting for another body to be found. Another six months went by and the case was put in the cold case files. I know we all worked hard on that case but I felt it was my failures that allowed the case to go unsolved. I had a few nightmares within that time, but once it seemed that we weren't working on any bodies related to that case, I just focused my mind on my current cases that came through. The job opened in Boston shortly after that. I felt that this would be a great place to move forward. To start fresh, let some of the failures of my past go. These bodies, I truly believe they are related to the San Diego case. I thought I had let go of all of that, those feelings. The feelings of failure and incompetency. I feel responsible Jane, for the bodies that have come through my morgue this week. If I could have just done my job and help solve the case the first time I... Maura began to feel her eyes burning as she was trying to hold her tears at bay. She was battling internally with herself now. Not wanting to let her emotions show, thinking she had handled these feelings in the past, and thinking that the Detective would look at her as something less than now with her revelations.

"Maura, you can't blame yourself for what happened." Jane had taken a hold of the ME's hand while she was talking, noticing the sadness washing over her best friend's face. She was rubbing the back of her hand with her thumb. "You are the most competent Medical Examiner I have ever worked with. We have the high closure rate because you are an integral part of this team."

A lone tear left a track down Maura's face, Jane wiped it away with the pad of her thumb before it fell completely down. Maura leaned slightly into Jane's touch, allowing her true emotion out for a brief moment.

"Maura, I know the nightmares have started again. Tonight you were screaming my name and yelling for me to wait."

"You were leaving the morgue. You were, well, you were leaving because I couldn't give you anything to go on. You said that you couldn't believe that I hadn't found anything yet with all the evidence that had been found. It was like you were the one taunting me in place of the murderer. I heard your voice instead of the one in my previous dreams. I saw your face instead of just a shadow. The words were the same, failure, incompetent, incapable."

Jane gently grabbed Maura's chin and lifted it to look her straight in the eye. The tears were coming freely now. It broke her heart to see Maura like this. This was so unexpected, she really wasn't prepared for what she was hearing. The emotions taking over her normally stoic best friend. She knew the ME has seen anything and everything dealing with the heinous ways people treat each other. She knew that she understood most of the perpetrators motives and that is what made her so great at her job in speaking for the dead. They were so much alike when it came to emotions. Especially dealing with what they saw on a daily basis. They were both experts at compartmentalization. They had to be to keep going back day in and day out. It did take its toll. She knew she suffered from nightmares due to cases. She thought the nightmares about Hoyt were decreasing just for the mere fact of time. She knew exactly where Maura was coming from, her feelings of failure. That is why Jane requested a new partner after the initial attack by Hoyt. She didn't think Korsak would trust her again because he saw her as weak. She had gone against protocol and put herself in that position. She needed to be rescued. She wasn't in control. It was taken from her. She had failed. She had gotten another chance though. To take back that control. To exorcise that demon forever. Literally and figuratively. She knew that he was no longer alive to wreak any more havoc in her life. She was starting to realize that Maura now had her own demon. A faceless evil that had traveled across the country and was now invading Maura's dreams. Jane was just as relentless as Maura when it came to solving cases. She knew they had a fight on their hands with this one.

"Maura, I don't think you are a failure. I never have and never will. We will work this case together and get this son of a bitch. None of us, as much as we would like to think we can, are able to solve these things on our own. We are a team. We rely on each others strengths to look at all the angles and solve it together. We will solve this case Maura. All of us. I wish I could just tell you to stop worrying about this. That the dreams will just go away. What I will tell you is that I am here whenever you need me. If you need to talk about anything, if you wake from a nightmare, I don't care what time it is, call me and I will listen or come over. I have your back Maura, as I know you have mine, and all of ours. You have always been here for me. Let me be here for you."

Maura blinked a few times, feeling a little weight lifted off of her shoulders. She had confided something to Jane that she thought for sure would have had her pull away as opposed to bringing her closer in proximity. She was finding it hard to breathe at the moment as she looked at their intertwined fingers. She knew Jane had her back, and she was starting to get a little angry with herself for thinking any less of Jane in that she assumed that she would think less of her. She berated herself internally for thinking that Jane would think she was a failure. She trusted her with her life. Why couldn't she just trust her with her feelings, her heart. This realization had a small frown forming on the Doctor's face as she took her eyes away from Jane's.

"Maura, regardless of what you are thinking, I am here, I am not going anywhere no matter what. We have been through a lot the last few years. If me being here now, doesn't show you that, I hope that someday you can believe in yourself they way I believe in you."

"Thank you Jane. I feel a little overwhelmed right now. I just need a minute."

Jane didn't hesitate to take Maura fully into her arms. Maura tensed a little at first, but then relaxed into the Detective's strong embrace. Jane couldn't help but hope that Maura didn't notice that her heart rate was increasing. She just closed her eyes and took in the scent of Maura's shampoo. She knew Maura was emotionally drained, and probably physically at this point also. Without even thinking she placed a small kiss on top of Maura's head and said; "We can talk about the details of the case tomorrow when we get to work if you want to just get some sleep."

"As much as I would like to continue to talk about the case, I think a good night's sleep will do me wonders. I had the old case files expedited. They should arrive by the end of the day tomorrow. I would like to bring them home. If we get lucky and do not have a new body tomorrow, can I entice you to join me in a home cooked meal and borrow your fresh eyes to look over the files with me?"

"I think I could be agreeable to that. As long as you keep the green stuff off of my plate." Jane chuckled into Maura's hair, without knowing what the other was thinking, neither of them had wanted to move from their current position. Maura pulled back a little bit to get a look into Jane's face and was appreciative of the teasing look resting on Jane's face as one of her eyebrows was arched as she glanced back at the Doctor. They both knew the weight of the conversation was lingering a bit. Both just appreciating their connection at the moment. Each needing to reel in the emotional toil from the last few days.

"I think you need more of the green stuff as you put it. Let's go to bed Jane."

Jane leaned back a little further and had now switched and arched the other eyebrow.

Maura just swatted the Detective's upper arm as she removed herself fully from Jane's arms and headed toward her room without looking back, a toothy grin set in place.

_**A little progress... A little fluff... I am thinking some casework gore will balance out the fluff a bit..**_

_**Peace...**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**`Chapter 8**_

_**The veil is lifting slowly on this one. I am grateful for the follows, favorites and reviews! **_

The weather was slightly changing now. The days were still warm, but the nights began to get cooler. '_This is much easier to work with' _she thought as she made her way through Boston Common with her armed securely looped through her date for the evening. She was busy scanning her surroundings as any other would do as they shuffled slowly taking in the sights as they walked along the sidewalk. While he was making note of the bandstand to their left, she was allowing herself to process the evening's events as well as look for the perfect spot to finish their date. She was pleased at how seamlessly the conversation went this time. She didn't feel like she had to direct the whole of the conversation. She kept to every detail this time. Not having to waver off task. Each response gave her the insight she needed to keep moving the evening forward, responding in the right places and looking like she was truly interested in what was being said. She didn't realize she had squeezed his arm a bit tighter at the moment she found what she was looking for just past the open area. The park was quiet over by the fountain that normally shown brightly in the dead of the night. There were no lights to be seen tonight, a stroke of sheer luck settled in her thoughts, as a small smile washed over her face, having him think she was glad to be there with him. This was perfect. She subconsciously tugged him along at a quicker pace now. The timing was perfect. Enough time had passed since the last bite and last drink was taken. Just enough time to where she felt him starting to struggle a bit to keep up with her pace. The last few steps were cumbersome to say the least, yet she kept her composure while being slowed down more and more. She noticed he had stopped at right at the base of the fountain. She turned to look at him and only saw any semblance of confusion replaced quickly by disappearing eyes as eyelids squinted tightly shut as he fell to his knees then back to lean up again the base. By the time she retrieved the necessary tools to complete her evening, his heart had stopped beating as he lie motionless underneath the lip of the base. Two quick rolls and she right on track with time. Just one target on this night. Gone was the light conversation and subtle glances. Her breath now steady as she made the last incision, the blood kept in place for the most part and the crimson hue of the object resting in her hand gave her pause. "What a perfect specimen" she said out loud to herself as she began the final preparations to leave. The water seemed like a good of place as any to 'cleanse' his lifeless body. She delighted in the fact that this would also add another time consuming factor to the good Doctor's autopsy.

* * *

The sun was filtering through the blinds causing her eyes to flutter open and take in her surroundings. Much better than an alarm clock she thought as she stretched her long limbs but was soon being impeded. She opened her eyes further realizing the impediment was none other than Maura's leg. She looked around once more realizing that indeed, she was in the guest room, but why was Maura? She took in her features, letting out a small sigh as she noticed her pajama top had rode up just a bit above her navel. _'Really' _she thought as other thoughts flooded her mind that instant as she noticed her chest rising and falling with each breath. She reached over to run her thumb over the hip bone she was now eying when Maura turned and her eyes blinked open settling on Jane's. She couldn't look away even if she wanted to, noticing Jane's dilated pupils and quickened breathing mixed with an expression she couldn't quite place. '_Arousal'_ she thought, her scientific dissertation was soon a fleeting thought as Jane rolled off the bed and headed for the door, realizing she had just been caught.

"Good morning Doctor Isles, I am going take a shower and then make some instant coffee. Would you like a cup?" Jane was trying her best to keep her composure as she looked back one last time as Maura was now resting on her elbow with a knowing look resting on her face.

"I would prefer to enjoy my coffee this morning, so no thank you."

"You are missing out." Jane sang as she made her way down the hallway to the bathroom, glad for the cool water now flowing over her body.

Maura laid back for just a moment more, taking in the remnants of Jane's scent on her pillow. It was getting harder for her not blur the lines she always kept so neatly in place. After all this time, could this be what she really wanted? Was the case just getting to her, the one thing that had truly haunted her in her life. Was Jane's relentless protectiveness of her giving her some kind of false sense of security in her feelings toward the Detective? Was she just in tune with the Doctor that she knew what she needed when situations like this came up? She came back to her own relentlessness where the Detective was concerned. Sure they were colleagues and best friends, but she was not one to guess or assume. She knew what her feelings were, what they meant but could she just switch gears? Just as she was pressuring herself to get to the bottom of this case once and for all, she was feeling a different kind of urgency. She was hoping she wasn't the only one.

* * *

"So, did you forget where your own room was last night?"

"I am sorry Jane, I woke up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water. On my way back to my room I heard you moving around so I went to peek in your room. You were shifting around a bit so I just came in to wake you in case you were dreaming. As I went to wake you, you calmed down but I heard you say 'stay'. You never opened your eyes, just reached out your hand, so I, stayed."

Jane remembered her dream, and now she realized part of her 'dream' was real. She couldn't tell Maura what her dream was about, so she just quietly said, "you didn't have to stay, but, thank you."

"My pleasure Jane." The kitchen became a little smaller for some reason as they both just stared into each others direction. Both raised their cups at the same time when that all to familiar sound of their phones going off broke their reverie.

"Rizzoli."

"Isles."

* * *

It seemed that there were no other murderers working so to speak. The spotlight was being given to the one person that had a knack for leaving this group of coworkers without any real evidence to go on. The scene was typical of all the others. So neat that clues were extremely hard to come by. Items were bagged, pictures and notes were taken. The body had taken on a bit more weight due to where it was deposited earlier. Doctor Isles wasn't even sure why she was trying to determine time of death at this point, the liver temp was skewed due to the submersed state of the body.

"Do we have anything Doc?" Korsak was bent down eye level with the ME, wondering why these bodies kept piling up on their watch. He couldn't even remember how many hours they had booked on this case so far, in such a short amount of days, it seemed that they were all blurring together at this point. He looked back over his shoulder and noticed Jane and Frost talking to the couple that found the body. He made eye contact with Jane for a brief moment, she nodded her head and went back to the brief interview.

"Detective, I can only determine that this victim is male and is missing his right kidney." The ME was already trying to determine by other means a time of death. She didn't want to verbalize this yet, as she knew it would be pure conjecture at this point and didn't want to give any sense of false hope as to the facts.

"I have done all I can here, I will start the autopsy immediately once back at the morgue." Doctor Isles stood and removed her gloves. Korsak followed suit and walked the ME back to her car.

"Doc, this is the most baffling case I have worked as long as I can remember. I know we all are feeling this. The brass is breathing down our necks to get this solved. We are all working ungodly hours, but we need, well, we just need something, anything to go on." Korsak was sounding desperate only covered by the tiredness in his voice. His features were a little more worn due to age, but the ME knew how he felt. She was feeling it too, and probably more. She swallowed down the guilt that was beginning to creep in, knowing at this point, with the few physical clues that were given, it was truly up to her to find the missing pieces.

"I understand the urgency Detective. I am doing everything in my power to find something to give you something to go on." I cannot just make up things out of …

"Doc, I get it, we all get it, there has to be something, somewhere, a slip up, just, something. I know if anyone can find it, its you." Korsak opened the driver's side door for her and held it open for a second more. "Be safe Doc."

* * *

She hit the record button and began her debriefing of her findings. She ran through dental fillings and a previously fractured radial bone on his right arm. She moved over to the bowl with the decedent's stomach contents and began again. She began to detail what was left of his last meal. She made note of the rice kernels still noticeable. She moved to the next detail about the remnants of what she deduced was a cut of prime rib. She continued on with her findings and then hit the stop button. Like clockwork, the doors opened and the familiar sound of boots across the floor had the ME looking up.

"Anything?" Jane looked at the body, still in its 'unfinished' state before looking back at the Doctor.

"I was just finishing up. I did notice something odd though. Here, let me show you." The ME waited for the Detective to step closer before she picked up the bowl she was previously observing.

"The food particles are curious to me, in their state of desiccation."

"Okay and."

"According to the time of death, I should not have been able to truly determine what he had eaten without further analysis in the lab."

"Doctor Isles, I appreciate your ability to identify food particles, but what exactly are you getting at?"

The ME, used to the Detective's impatience, simply set the bowl down and removed her gloves. She set her hands on the table and leaned forward with the sudden realization hitting her at that moment.

"What I mean Detective is that the victim should not have had any solid food left in his stomach. He was more than likely suffering from gastroparesis."

"Maura, English please."

"The victim more than likely had a condition that did not allow him to digest his food at a more normal rate."

"How does that help us figure out who the murderer is?"

"Jane, I will be right back, I have to get this to the lab and have these analyzed further. He may have been on some kind of prophylaxis for this condition."

The ME moved past the Detective without a second glance back, her determination to solve these murders paramount over anything else at the moment.

The Detective shook her head. Hoping that somehow, someway this random tidbit of information could lead them somewhere. She hoped that the ME was not finally losing her mind with the cases still open and evidence, or lack thereof leading them to one dead end after another.

She saw the box in the corner and as her curiosity lead her toward the area, she glanced down and noticed a few choice words. _San Diego, Medical Examiner and case files._

The ME had returned to the morgue, her mind still in overdrive looking around to find the Detective no longer there. She went to find her phone and saw no messages there. She let out a deep calming breath and reached for a new pair of gloves and the rest of her equipment necessary to close up the body. She reached back to grab her goggles when she noticed a written note that was not there before.

_'I have what you want. If you ever want to see it again, be at my place in an hour and don't even think about calling the cops, or else.' _

She left the note in its place and turned to finish the autopsy. If anyone were walking by, they would have thought it was odd that the ME was smiling as she finished the last few stitches.

_**TBC...**_


End file.
